The Queensland Government has announced the completion of a new station at Rocklea, which was rebuilt as part of Cross River Rail works.
Rocklea Station was reopened on 8 July 2024 following a complete rebuild, with features including new station buildings, an extra platform, pedestrian overpass, three lifts and switchback stairs, improving access for all passengers.
The park ‘n’ ride has also been repaved to include better designed accessible parking, and drop-off and pick-up facilities.
There’s also a new enclosed storage shelter for up to 40 bicycles.
Rocklea is one of several projects aimed at creating a more reliable and modern rail network. Burpengary and Bundamba stations are also being rebuilt as part of Queensland Rail’s Station Accessibility Upgrade Program and will reopen soon.
More than $1.5 billion dollars is being invested in station infrastructure across the Queensland Rail network from improvements to partial and full upgrades and even new stations.
This includes Nerang and Wacol, Fairfield to Dutton Park, Nambour, Auchenflower and more recently Morningside, Lindum, Banyo, Bundamba, Burpengary and Buranda stations.
These works include life changing accessibility upgrades like lifts to replace stairs, new overpasses, platform raising and resurfacing, car parks, public toilets, augmented hearing loops and ramps.
Other rail network improvements include upgraded lighting, enhanced CCTV coverage, bike lockers, new customer screens, and the construction of Queensland Police Service Railway Squad outposts and hubs.
Rocklea is one of seven stations between Dutton Park and Salisbury being rebuilt as part of a rolling program being carried out by Cross River Rail, south of the project’s twin tunnels.
Cross River Rail is also building four new underground stations at Boggo Road, Albert Street, Woolloongabba and Roma Street, a new year-round Exhibition station and three new Gold Coast stations at Hope Island, Pimpama and Merrimac.
Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Bart Mellish, “Rebuilding stations like this one at Rocklea means everyone in the community can use the station and take the train.
“We want to make public transport accessible to everyone and this shows we are making that a reality.
“This is the third station to be rebuilt as part of Cross River Rail, with the revamped Yeronga and Fairfield stations already open to the public.
Queensland Rail CEO Kat Stapleton, said, “Queensland Rail has been proudly connecting communities for nearly 160 years and we are committed to constantly improving our network to make it more accessible, convenient and safe.
“Our biggest accessibility upgrade program ever is currently underway, bringing into the modern era six more stations – Buranda, Burpengary, Banyo, Bundamba Morningside and Lindum.
“This is on top of the 12 fully upgraded stations we’ve already delivered and our partial platform raising program which has made boarding trains faster, easier and safer across the network.”
Image credit: chinasong/shutterstock.com
